Looked at the Sky from Both Sides
by Kali Cephirot
Summary: Xover with X 1999 Of course Yuuri knows aboute time traveling. But it is a completely different thing to go back and suddenly be greeted by the ten years old version of his best friend and, oh yeah. The end of the world. FINISHED
1. Chapter 1

**Looked at the Sky from Both Sides.**

In her dreams, Hinoto thought she could feel a pair of eyes looking at her, someone with the strength of a dragon sitting in between the Dragons of Heaven and Earth. She tried to reach towards that person, calling for him, but no matter what happened, that person remained far away. Hinoto felt him trying to reach for her, too, just a moment before she woke up, the same way that had happened for the last two weeks. 

When the door to her chambers slid open, during the fated year of 1999, the presence of the ten years old was normal but for the air of antiquity it seemed to carry, the same aura she had felt from an American woman that had visited her twelve years ago.

_'I've been waiting for your visit, Murata-dono.'_

The boy smiled as he neared the blind dream-gazer, moving to kneel down in front of her. He didn't seem particularly interesting, wearing the school uniform from Clamp Campus Academy, with dark hair and also dark, intelligent eyes. His glasses reflected the light from the candles as he tilted his head to the side.

"It's only been three years since I remembered, so many of the arrangements my previous selves made weren't clear. I'm sorry if I'm late, princess Hinoto."

Hinoto gave a small smile, moving her head 'no' before her expression grew serious.

_'Do you know what is going to happen?'_

The boy nodded, still smiling. His eyes, however, were focused over the princess. "'Christine' was told about it. Since Mazoku have mixed with humans for so long, we needed to be aware of what was going to happen in 1999."

_'My dreams have showed me about a strong young man with dragons around him. His aura is powerful but also peaceful, like the ocean..'_

Murata gave a small amazed, envious laugh. "Maaa, princess Hinoto is so lucky! I've not meet him yet!"

There was a moment of silence. Then, Hinoto spoke again. _'I know that this young man is involved with the upcoming war, but I've not been able to See if he's going to help the Angels or the Seals.'_

"Mmm. I wonder." the boy muttered, looking up to the ceiling for a moment. Then he smiled towards the dream-gazer again, eyes hidden behind the reflection of his lenses. "Well, I should go before my dad worries about me."

'Murata-dono?'

The boy stood up but bowed towards the woman-child in front of him. "I'll bring Shibuya next time, princess Hinoto. Then you can ask him directly."

The boy started walking towards the exit after his deep bow, but he paused by the door, turning back to smile at her. "Oh, but it might take a while. I'm only going to meet him in three years!"

**Part 1.**

Yuuri stopped, giving another huge, jaw-cracking yawn, dropping his school bag as he did so, stretching. Murata also paused by his side, tutting in an amused tone of voice.

"Really, Shibuya. Practice wasn't _that_ hard."

Still yawning, Yuuri shook his head. "'s not that. And you're one to talk about it." he then rubbed one of his eyes, shaking his head as if to clear it. "I've not been sleeping well. I keep dreaming about this weird girl..."

"Dreaming about a girl?" Murata grinned, elbowing him on the side. "What's von Bielefeld going to say about that?"

"Oi, it's not like that!" Yuuri glared a little, just somewhat spooked about the idea of Wolfram hearing anything like that. He knew that, no matter what his explanation was, if Wolfram heard about his dreams involving any other girl that wasn't their very cute daughter, his future would involve lots of fire and possibly swords in painful places. Then he grew pensive again, looking towards the sky. "I dunno, I can't see the girl very well, it's as if I knew her and didn't remember, like a memory, kinda. I think she wants to tell me something but... I dunno. It's weird. And she seems so familiar..."

Murata looked at him for a moment in a way that made Yuuri's skin crawl. He started to frown but then Murata grinned, slapping his back.

"Don't worry about it, Shibuya! If you've to remember, you'll remember. If not, there's no use worrying about it."

After a moment of consideration, Yuuri nodded. Murata grinned.

"C'mon now; if we're late, your fiancé will chew out our heads."

Yuuri laughed. The idea of bringing the people of Shin Makoku to celebrate Hanami hadn't actually been his (his mom had insisted that it was something that Wolf-chan and Conrad-san needed to see), but he had agreed it was an excellent idea, and Anissina had been thrilled at the chance to give them a new translator, even. At the very least, Greta was beyond herself as she learned about Earth. That was not even counting how his mom and dad were acting now that they had a cute little girl to spoil rotten, apparently pretty much ready to forget they had two sons.

The only thing that scared Yuuri more was the fact that his mom and Celi-sama had become instant best friends: he just _knew_ that in his near future there was going to be wearing woman's clothes. Most likely frilly. His only consolation was that most likely Wolfram was going to suffer the same destiny.

Yuuri stopped again when he noticed an old man leaving some flowers against a wall. It wasn't the only offering there. Pictures, candles, teddy bears... someone had left the front page of a newspaper that had been printed in April of 1999.

"**SHIBUYA SUFFERS AN EARTHQUAKE OF 7.3 IN THE RITCHER SCALE.  
The Yamamoto Line has been completely destroyed  
Countless victims: the numbers keep growing."**

"Six years," Murata murmured by his side. Yuuri nodded, moving a hand to the side of his head, feeling under the hair until he found the shape of a long, thin scar that had been his personal memento of that earthquake. He didn't complain about it; it was a constant reminder that he had been extremely lucky. His mom used to say that it was the proof that he was going to do huge things one day, since he had survived.

The year of 1999 had been rough to Tokyo to say the least. Constant earthquakes over the course of the year had almost caused it's complete destruction. As it was, scholars and scientists were still unsure of how it had been that Tokyo had remained standing. The Yamamoto-Shibuya line had been reconstructed; the Rainbow Bridge, the 109 building...

And still, Yuuri couldn't stop himself from grieving a moment for all the people that had died and who hadn't been able to be there to see how Tokyo had been rebuilt. Not that it had changed much, but Yuuri liked to think that those lives now helped take care of the city, and that they were in debt with them, even as they started walking. It was always sad, for him, to think about the people that had died in natural disasters or accidents. He had never quite been able to explain it, and Shouri had said more than once that he was too soft (feeling that Wolfram shared with his brother), but even if he didn't know the people that had died, even if it had been so long, Yuuri still thought it was sad.

"Yuuri!" Once they reached his house, Greta ran towards him, already wearing a pale pink kimono with white petals, beaming. "Welcome home!"

"Princess Greta, you look so cute!" Murata grinned, even as Greta dragged them – barely letting them take of their shoes and leave their schoolbags – inside the living room.

"They're here!"

"Finally," Wolfram huffed, arms crossed. He wasn't wearing a yukata, which made Yuuri wonder what were their mothers planning for them to wear. "You're late!"

"Now, Wolfram, just say 'welcome home'," Conrad said, smiling. It was a shame that Günther and Gwendal had had to stay back at Shin Makoku, but Yuuri was glad that at least Conrad, Greta and Wolfram (and Celi-sama, of course) could spend some time in his other world, too, even if he did think that Gwendal and Günther were perhaps worrying a little too much; yes, there had been a few earthquakes and fires in Shin Makoku and the animals were scared, but the fires and earthquakes had been easy to control. Furthermore, if anything serious happened, Ulrike was completely able to contact him and then they'd be back in Shin Makoku faster than what a Goala latched itself to a branch tree.

Ulrike...

"Ulrike! The girl I saw!" Yuuri exclaimed suddenly, eyes wide open, causing the people around him to look at him. "She reminds me of Ulrike! That's why she seems so familiar!"

Just as Yuuri announced his discovery, pure white light washed over the living room, so brilliant that Yuuri had to cover his eyes and he couldn't hear what Conrad and Wolfram were saying; he could only watch as Murata's expression grew both sad and serious, looking down, before he had to close his eyes.

"Are you gonna sleep for much longer? 'cause if you are, I'm going back inside. I've not finished my homework yet."

Yuuri groaned, moving a hand to his face, pressing against his eyes for a moment before he dared open them. There wasn't any weird light now but he wasn't in his house either. He hurried to sit up, looking around. Conrad and Wolfram were by his side, moving slowly as they regained conscience.

"Finally! I was starting to wonder if I there had been a mistake or something."

Yuuri turned to look towards the person talking to them. It was a young boy, possibly around Greta's age. He was wearing a pair of round eyeglasses and his smile was awfully, terribly familiar. It was as if the kid was...

"Murata?!"

The boy nodded, a cheerful expression on his face. "Yup! Although, I'm not the Murata you know. I know this sounds weird, but it's nice to meet you finally, Shibuya-san!"


	2. Chapter 2

If not for the pictures he had seen in Murata's house the times he had visited, Yuuri wouldn't have believed this was possible. Yes, of course he knew about time traveling – he had been able to meet his past life like that, after all – but it was a complete different thing to go back and suddenly be greeted by the ten-years-old version of his best friend.

At least, by Conrad and Wolfram's expressions as the chibi Murata put a plate of cookies and a cup of tea for each of them, he wasn't the only one absolutely confused and that was of some relief.

"Sugar? Cream?" Chibi Murata grinned. He was missing a tooth. "You can stop looking at me like that. I'm real."

"But Highness... how?" Conrad asked, ignoring the tea.

"Mmm, it's a little complicated," the boy said, pushing his glasses up his nose with a very familiar gesture. "And it didn't quite work as I was expecting it... see, you were supposed to come with my Future Self so he'd actually know you and know how to explain things. But I was kind of expecting something like this from Clow too, so it's not a complete surprise."

"From who?" Wolfram asked, the same serious expression that Conrad had.

Chibi Murata waved his hand, taking a cookie as he sat down, legs crossed. "An old friend of mine. When I and Bob realized what was gonna happen, I asked him a favor."

"Wait, wait. Back from the start. Why are we here? _What_ year is it? Bob-san knew about this? Why do you look so... so..."

"Charmingly cute and innocent?" Chibi Murata shrugged and grinned. "I'm ten. Eleven in a few weeks. I'm supposed to be this cute."

Ten? Yuuri frowned, making quick counts. Murata's birthday was in May so if in this past was still April, it meant that--

"Why are we in 1999!"

"As I said, it's a little complicated... or well, actually, a lot complicated," The boy said, sighing, nibbling on his cookie, frowning.

"Then start from the beginning." Wolfram said, his frown still deep. Yuuri was a little surprised to realize that Conrad's expression remained as serious as Wolfram's, not really sure why they seemed so angry. He was, more than anything, surprised. And really confused, too, but not mad.

Chibi Murata looked towards Conrad and Wolfram, his smile suddenly melancholic. "A Bielefeld and a Weller. Am I right to suppose that back in Shin Makoku there is a Voltaire, too?"

"Older brother," Wolfram answered, sharing a look with Conrad.

Chibi Murata looked down for a moment, and Yuuri suddenly realized that even if this boy was Murata and knew about what was going to happen, he wasn't going to be in Shin Makoku until he was fifteen. Even more, he hadn't been in touch with actual Mazoku in who knew how long.

The idea that in this time he technically didn't know this Murata was weird. Yuuri shook his head. Oh, this was going to cause him a headache, he was almost sure.

"That's great..." the boy sighed and then gave a soft nod. "As I said, this is going to be complicated... from what year are you coming for?"

"You don't know, even what with you planned?"

The kid shrugged. "I asked for Shibuya-san to come once he was the true maou, not a specific year. I'm assuming he already defeated Sousho 'cause his maryoku feels even stronger than how the Original King's felt, but that's about it."

"It's April 2005 in Japan right now," Conrad said. "Highness, could you explain?"

"Maa, you're insistent. Okay, okay... I was gonna explain anyway, but I thought that it'd be better for you to sleep before I told you. Shibuya-san, you know what's been happening in Tokyo in 1999, don't you?"

"You mean the earthquakes?" Chibi Murata nodded and Yuuri shrugged. "Yeah, I know about them. Why?"

"And you probably heard about how it was going to be the end of the world, right?"

Yuuri snorted. "The stuff in the movies? Yeah, everyone has heard about it!"

"_I_ haven't," Wolfram exclaimed. "At least on Earth."

Yuuri gave a sheepish grin even as he shrugged. "It's no big deal, Wolfram. Just, lots of people said that the world was gonna end in the 1999."

"Actually, it is a big deal, Shibuya." The young Murata said. His expression was too serious for the face of a ten years old, enough that Yuuri frowned as he turned again towards him. The boy's hands were around his own cup of tea, glasses slipping a little down his noise. "Right now, the war to save the world is being fought by two groups, here in Tokyo."

Wolfram snorted. "Even in Shin Makoku we have legends about the end of the world. Old folks' tales to make the children behave."

"And yet, if Sousho had won, you would have confronted a war that would have been the end of Shin Makoku," the young Murata shook his head. "Most legends have its base in reality. Of course, as the years go by those legends become more and more fantastic, but that doesn't mean that the core isn't real."

"So what? You mean that in 1999 the world was ending?" Yuuri blinked and then offered a tentative smile. "But since we come from the 2005, it clearly means that it didn't end, doesn't it? 'cause, y'know, yeah, in the 1999 Tokyo was in bad shape, but it's better now! Well... er... kinda better, at least."

The young Murata's expression remained pensive. Yuuri swallowed, wondering why he was feeling so nervous. Against what he was used to, when Conrad spoke, his voice didn't make him feel at ease.

"What you are saying, Highness, is that at this point of history where we are, it's still unknown if the world will be saved or not, and thus the future we come from isn't something certain."

"As expected from a Weller!" Chibi Murata grinned, but somehow his expression was still giving Yuuri the chills.

"And his Majesty is also involved?"

"Bingo!"

"Wait, what? Conrad? What are you two talking about?" Yuuri asked. He had an idea of where the conversation was going – watching Sci-Fi movies made you at least a little aware of that – but he didn't like it at all. In fact, if he was wrong in what he was thinking, he'd be the happiest mazoku on Earth.

Chibi Murata sighed, pushing his glasses up his nose with a finger. "Well... Shibuya-san, it's like this. You are now the Maou because the Maou you helped over the war in 1999."

Yuuri blinked. "I did? When?"

"In 1999."

"... but in 1999 I was ten years old and had no idea I was half mazoku."

"That's why I asked my friend to help me get the Maou-you here!"

Yuuri stared at the small Murata and then shook his head. "Sorry, you lost me. Come again?"

"Well, if you choose to, that's it, that's why you're here. More or less," Murata grinned. "It's the thing with time lines. Things gets sketchy."

"What!"

The boy smiled, standing up. "It's getting late. I'll explain more tomorrow, there's some people you gotta meet before. Don't worry, my dad won't come home until tomorrow so you can sleep here, I'll bring you some blankets. Then we'll see about where you'll stay..."

"How long are you thinking on keeping us here?" Wolfram asked. Yuuri nodded, although he was mostly still trying to understand why they were there, and the part about the world possibly ending even though he kept thinking that if they were there it was an obvious sign that it wasn't going to end. Then again, Physics was one of his worst classes.

The boy tilted his head backwards, apparently considering. Then he smiled again and shrugged. "Dunno. I think that you'll stay until you finish what you've to do."

"And what is that? You can't just keep us here!"

Chibi Murata shrugged again at Wolfram's indignant shout. "As I said, I'm not sure. My part in all of this is small, so I don't have all the details. Tomorrow you'll find out more about it. Even I don't know much since my part is really tiny... but really, you should sleep. We're getting up at five."

"Why so early?"

The kid smiled. "Well, I can't go on and miss school, right? What would my teachers say about that!"

Often, Wolfram surprised him with the way he could fall asleep no matter what. As long as his head hit a pillow and he was in an horizontal position, it'd be less than five minutes before the blond mazoku was snoring – and kicking – in dream-land.

Sometimes, Yuuri really envied that. It wasn't that he had troubles sleeping, more like if he was really worried, the troubles seemed to chase away his sleep, and he had just discovered that things like 'the end of the world' had the same effect on him.

After the fifth averted fist from Wolfram, Yuuri carefully stood up from the futon chibi Murata had given them, walking out of the studio of Murata's father and walking towards the kitchen. He felt more than a little rude doing this despite how many times he had been at Murata's house in Shibuya, but this house was new and strange and...

He shook his head and sighed, and instead of searching for the milk and the cocoa he sat down by the table, leaning his head against them.

Yuuri jumped a little when Conrad touched his back gently, concerned.

"Majesty?"

Yuuri grumbled, not raising his head. "This is the type of situations that call for being called by your first name, Conrad."

Conrad didn't answer at first, but he moved to sit by his side in silence. Yuuri sighed, turning his head to face Conrad was. The kitchen was almost completely dark and through the faint light he could barely make the outline of his body. He reached a hand, his fingers touching one of Conrad's wrist and he curled his fingers there, more certain that Conrad was really there by his side like that.

"I know you are worried," Conrad said softly, placing a hand on top of his, the rough of his palm another piece of certainty to the experience. "But you need to take care of yourself."

Yuuri couldn't but snort, fingers twitching a little.

"You're one to talk 'bout that kind of things, Conrad."

Even so he still took a deep breath and sighed.

"This is so weird," Yuuri muttered.

"Like an episode of the Twilight Zone?" Conrad asked and Yuuri knew he was smiling, trying to make himself feel better. He gave a soft laugh, nodding even though he knew Conrad wasn't going to be able to notice.

"Now I sorta wish that I had paid more attention to those, though. I only remember the whole 'not changing anything in the past' rule. And it's giving me headache trying to decide if we being here is one of those things that would affect space-time or if it was always said we'd be here."

Conrad's chair scraped against the floor and Yuuri straightened a little, confused, but Conrad just moved the chair so that he could sit by his side, sliding his arm around his shoulders and Yuuri leaned gratefully against the strength of Conrad's shoulder, giving a sigh and closing his eyes, the sleep that had been eluding him now spreading through all his limbs slowly and heavily..

"I'm sure everything will be fine, Yuuri." Conrad murmured a few minutes after a complete silence, voice barely above a whisper, his breath soft against his forehead, lips almost touching his skin. Yuuri sighed and gave a faint nod, trying to snuggle closer, Conrad's warmth chasing away his doubts and fear.


	3. Chapter 3

Yuuri was to discover, a few hours after that, that Murata had always been loud and more than a little obnoxious in the mornings. Sure, he woke up early almost every day to train, but Murata – and thus, little Murata too – woke up _whistling. _

It was a good thing that Wolfram couldn't use his maryoku. The way he was glaring at Murata for daring to be so cheerful when the sun wasn't even up was frightening.

"So! Ready to go?" Murata asked, finishing packing a few things in his backpack. Wolfram's yawn answered even as he stood up, moving a hand as if to settle on the hilt of his sword, then sort of falling at his side when he didn't found it. Conrad put a hand on his brother's back and Yuuri stood up too, giving a small nod though he felt anything but ready.

"Where are we going?"

"Oh, you'll see," the boy said, scribbling a note and folding it, placing it on the table, then picking up a set of keys and walking outside, the three of them following. "I hope it doesn't take much time; there's a math test at school."

"Oh, that's right, you're going to school after this..." Yuuri noticed the extremely fancy uniform and he blinked again, tilting his head. "You go to a private school?"

"Yup! Clamp Campus Academy."

"There?!" The boy was grinning, and Yuuri knew he was gaping. Wolfram muttered something about 'loud wimp' and he forced himself to lower his voice. "But it's..."

"One of the most difficult schools in the country? Yeah, there's that." Chibi Murata shrugged as he guided them towards the train station. "I've been there since I was three."

"But then, how are we going to meet, Murata?" Yuuri asked before slapping a hand over his mouth.

Murata, however, shrugged, a soft expression over his face. "Oh, we will meet, don't worry. Since I remembered my previous lives, I've been making preparations. Right now my grades are slipping a little every now and then. In two years I'll have a nervous breakdown. My psychologist will tell dad that it's probably due to stress and loneliness. Then dad will tell me I should go to another Junior High so I don't get sick."

"When did you remember your life as the Great Sage?" Wolfram asked. The boy gave him a bright smile. 

"When I was seven years old, a few weeks after my mother's death. It's a sort of safe mechanism. A baby wouldn't be able to deal with those kind of memories, would he? But if a six, seven years old kid talks about weird dreams and wars and soldiers, he or she just has a healthy imagination, and perhaps the kid has been watching a little too much TV," the boy shrugged. "Dad was worried that those dreams might have been caused by my mother's death so he took me to a psychologist... which ended up being the best, actually."

"And that's how you met Jose Rodriguez." 

"Oh, you know Jose already? That's good to hear." Murata nodded. "My dad is a mazoku, so was my mom, but they didn't know about Christine or the Great Sage. Christine asked for it, she thought it'd make things easier for me. Her parents knew about her and... well, let's say it was weird."

But there was something in the way Murata said it that made Yuuri hurt a little. His eyes seemed too serious for a ten years old boy, his expression almost lonely. Yuuri tried to think how it would've felt if he had remembered Julia's life, how much he would have missed Conrad and Adalbert and Odell-san and everyone in Shin Makoku.

He wondered how it had been that Murata hadn't gone crazy with longing, and his heart ached when he realized just how truly lonely Murata must be, how much he must be waiting for them to start Junior High School... and even then, he thought, it would take three more years before he and Murata actually became friends instead of just mere acquaintances.

"Oi, is it okay if I call you 'Ken'?" Yuuri asked, rubbing his neck as he grinned towards the boy's surprised expression, shrugging. "I know that you and the Murata I know are technically the same, but it feels weird calling you 'Murata'."

Ken blinked, but then his expression changed into an almost sweet smile as he nodded.

Even if Yuuri doubted his steps, Ken guided them all the way to the underground of the Diet building, smiling calmly to the two young women who opened the door and informed them that 'princess Hinoto and the Dragons of Heaven' were waiting for them.

Yuuri bowed his head towards them, looking at Wolfram and Conrad to reassure himself that he wasn't the only one thoroughly confused by this as he stepped behind Ken.

And then he screamed, pointing a finger to the girl kneeling in front of a seven people.

"It's you! The girl I've been dreaming off!"

Yuuri wasn't surprised that the girl had reminded him of Ulrike, she had the same soft, childlike innocence that Ulrike seemed to have, the same expression of perhaps knowing a bit more than everyone else did.

Then, Wolfram's arm sneaked around his neck in a headlock and Yuuri wheezed.

"What do you mean you've been dreaming of another person!" Wolfram questioned, tightening his hold. "You cheater!"

"W-Wolfram!"

_'I apologize. Those dreams were my fault.'_

When Wolfram let go of his neck, Yuuri knew that it hadn't been just him hearing things in his head, quite literally this time. He blinked as he straightened, taking notice of the other people around them, even as Ken was waiting by the girl's side.

Ken smiled towards the girl. "Princess Hinoto, let me introduce you Shin Makoku's to-be 27th Maou, Shibuya Yuuri. Shibuya-san, this is princess Hinoto. She's a dreamgazer, which is probably why you've been dreaming of her, and the Dragons of Heaven... though I don't know them yet by name."

"Ah, please, at this moment I'm not the Maou yet!" Yuuri was quick to add, hands in front of him as if to stop any possible courtesy. Instead, he moved a hand. "Princess Hinoto, um... if you don't mind my question... why did I dream of you? Or you of me. Or however it is."

_'Murata-dono?'_

Ken nodded, pushing his glasses up his nose again. "Do you remember what I told you yesterday, about the end of the world? These are the Dragons of Heaven, also known as the Seals. They're the ones trying to stop humanity from dying."

Yuuri gaped as he took further notice of the faces of the people around him. They seemed so normal! If he had met them over the street, he wouldn't have given them a second thought, even with the uniforms three of them were wearing, or the bandages a man was wearing over half of his face. He stared, trying to wrap his brain around that fact until he looked upon the saddest eyes Yuuri had ever seen and his maryoku flared around him and he felt himself suddenly overwhelmed, almost blacking out at the sheer power that seemed to be coming from within the teenager.

When he managed to control himself, Wolfram was kneeling by his side and Conrad was in front of them. The so called Dragons had also put themselves in front of princess Hinoto and the teenager, apparently ready to lash out.

Yuuri scrambled to stand up. "Stop! Stop! It's nothing, calm down!"

"Your Majesty?"

Yuuri shook his head at Conrad's question, leaning against him for a moment before he looked towards the rest of the people there, giving a faint, embarrassed smile.

"I'm fine and... sorry about that. It's just," he looked upon the – extremely bewildered – teenager and shrugged. "Your power is huge and it sort of feels... kinda familiar, I guess." Yuuri finished somewhat lamely, still looking at the other teen, unable to pinpoint what he had felt, or why his maryoku had reacted like that.

"For Shibuya-san to know the 'Kamui', then it means that Shibuya-san really is involved," Ken said, frowning a little before he gave his usual smile, happily chirping. "Then, we should formally introduce to each other, shouldn't we?"

Once the introductions were made (including Yuzuriha-chan's cute dog apparently really liking Yuuri and Wolfram proclaiming that once a cheater, always a cheater, and Yuuri half convinced that Sorata-san could have been Yozak's long lost brother or something) Ken sighed again.

"The thing here is to find out how can Shibuya help," then, he added, while looking towards Conrad and Wolfram. "And why you guys were brought with him."

"_Why_ wouldn't we come?" Wolfram huffed, crossing his arms. "We have to protect Yuuri, after all."

Conrad nodded after that. "Our duty as Shin Makoku soldiers is to protect our Maou, first and foremost."

"Yeah, yeah, I know _that_," Ken said, sitting down by Hinoto's side. "But when Christine asked for Shibuya-san to come, she meant only Shibuya. And also, technically my future me should have been here. I wasn't supposed to know about all of this."

"Why not?" Yuuri asked, confused. "It'd be great if you tell me this time!"

Ken shook his head. "Exactly because of that."

"Excuse me," Sorata-san said, a hand behind his head. "Perhaps we could focus on that later and right now focus over the helping part? Or coming for the future part? Or why is he even supposed to help? I don't mean to be rude or anything, it's just..."

"Confusing," Yuuri said with a brief laugh, nodding. "Yeah, tell me about it."

Wolfram turned towards Ken then, half glaring. "You said you were going to explain with more people. So now, _explain_."

"Maaa, Bielefeld-san, I was gonna get there," Ken grinned before his expression turned more serious. "The problem here is that, technically, our time lines shouldn't have crossed," Ken said, pushing his glasses up. "Both sets of events - the end of the world and Shibuya-san becoming the Maou – should have run parallel to each other."

"What happened, then?"

"1999 did," Ken gave a half shrug, as if to take importance of everything. "Things like the Apocalypse take precedence to other things. Except for the part that Shin Makoku was gonna face a similar fate without Shibuya-san there to help... and there was no way Shibuya-san would have been ready at eleven years old to be sent to Shin Makoku, learn to control his maryoku _and_ stop Sousho from destroying the whole world."

"Would Sousho be the Kamui of your world? This world of yours also has Angels and Seals?" Aoki-san asked.

Wolfram shook his head. "Sousho was darkness and evil that had gained strength and body. The Original King had managed to temporarily seal him four thousand years ago, but the seal was weakening. Yuuri had been our king for only a few months before the seals stopped working."

Ken nodded. "It also managed to corrupt part of the Maryoku of the Original King and at this time, it's still spreading, with Shibuya-san the only one who'll be able to confront it with time. But Shibuya-san is not going to be in Shin Makoku until the 2004. Five years after 1999."

"So the events crossed each other?"

Ken nodded again. "So what happened here, more or less, was that in this Shibuya's time line, humanity was saved, and the Dragons of Heaven won. Thus, Shibuya-san became the Maou and managed to save Shin Makoku. Two worlds were saved."

"Then, what's the problem?" Sorata-san asked, saving Yuuri the problem of doing so himself. "Isn't it a proof that we won if you guys are coming from the future?" Sorata asked, a hopeful smile spreading through his face.

Yuuri was about to agree with that when Conrad shook his head. "The future where you won hasn't happened yet. The fact that we come from the future doesn't mean that the present you will reach it, or even that we'll go again."

Conrad also added, his voice grim. "And the war you are fighting right now is affecting the Shin Makoku in which his Majesty became our king."

"What!" Yuuri turned to look towards Conrad, Wolfram's expression as surprised as his. Ken's, however, was grim.

"I was afraid you'd say that..."

"You mean... the earthquakes and the fires?" Wolfram shook his head. "I know there have been a lot lately, but you think they have to do with this, Conrad?"

"Our worlds are connected, they have been connected since The Mirror at the Bottom of the Ocean was brought to Earth." Ken said, nodding. "It's... how to put it... the epicenter is at 1999, and the last sequels have traveled all the way up to the 2005, now that Shibuya is supposed to help."

"But what exactly is Yuuri-san supposed to do to help us?" Yuzuriha-san turned to look towards him, tilting her head. "Can you create a kekkai? Or..."

_'Shibuya-dono is not to be a Dragon of Heaven,'_ came the voice of princess Hinoto.

Ken nodded again. "I think... well, Shibuya would have been most likely a blank card, but at this time in history, ten years old Shibuya Yuuri hasn't awakened his maryoku yet."

"Then, and no offense, how are you gonna help us?" Surata-san asked before he blinked. "Wait! I know! You gotta know the dates when the kekkais fell! You can tell us the exact dates and we can protect them!"

Among all the things that had surprised Yuuri – which he was starting to lose count of – he had had to count the thought of something such as the Yamamoto Line or Tokyo tower offering its protection upon Tokyo, and it had also made him think about Shin Makoku, wondering if there was something like that there or if it could have been said that the four boxes had been the protecting kekkai of the world.

Still, Sorata-san's words made perfect sense to Yuuri, except for a small part. He rubbed the back of his neck. "Um. I can probably tell you a few, but otherwise... uh... I don't really recall them?" Suddenly, several stares were on him – Wolfram and Sorata-san were gaping – and Yuuri rubbed the back of his neck again, much too uncomfortable at the moment. "Um. Sorry?"

The silence extended for several heavy moments until Wolfram, with shaking hands, grabbed unto his shirt, pulling him close.

"How the hell can't you remember something like that, you wimp!"

Yuuri gave a sheepish grin. "Um. I was in the hospital at the time?"

Just like that, the expressions of everyone grew surprised and grim. Yuuri moved a hand to the back of his neck again when Wolfram let him go, a little uncomfortable by the worry they were showing. "Hey, c'mon! It was five years ago! I'm fine now! I even only have a few scars out of it, and most of them have gone!"

"Yuuri... what happened?"

Conrad's voice sounded unnaturally grim and somber. Yuuri gulped, wondering about everyone's expressions and he shrugged.

"Mom had taken Shouri and me to buy for some things when there was an earthquake and debris fell on me. Shouri says that some foreigners dug me out from them and then I was taken to the hospital. I was unconscious for about a month or so. But I'm perfectly okay!" Yuuri was quick to add when the grim expressions darkened even more. "The doctors were really amazed! But that's just Shibuya Yuuri Harajaku Fuuri's extreme good luck! And I remember the ones before, so –"

"You can't tell the dates you do remember, Shibuya-san." Ken shook his head. "Even the one where you were injured. The Shibuya that has come here was in the hospital because of an earthquake and has the recollection of having lived through one. If the Dragons of Heaven stop even one of them, I don't know what consequence it might bring to your future."

Yuuri gaped and stared towards Ken, who had lowered his head, the faint light from candles reflecting from his glasses. He heard the Seal's surprised questions, but all he could think of was:

"But all the people that are going to die!" Yuuri exclaimed, remembering the newspaper he had seen the previous day, five years into the future, about the people that were going to die in two days. Millions of dead people, of injured people, people that had lost their homes and their ways of living, and _that_ had been only in Shibuya. He could stop it or at least try to make it stop, he just had to say that in three days around two o clock in the afternoon, there had been an earthquake, one of the sacred kekkai that protected Tokyo destroyed.

Ken's eyes were sad but serious as he said no with his head. "I'm sorry, Shibuya-san."

"But how can you know that it isn't that that I came to stop?" Yuuri asked, feeling a little desperate at being completely unable to stop something he knew was going to be terrible. "You said so! That I came to help! _This_ is help?!"

"Can you be sure that if you stop this kekkai, it will help the Dragons of Heaven? Or that it won't cause more people to die?" Ken seemed older than his years as he looked at him, his expression serious. "How can you be sure that if this happens, it won't mean a more direct attack over them, or that the things won't change to accommodate what you said? The Dragons of Earth also have a dream-gazer. They probably know about you and Bielefeld-san and Weller-san coming here by now. You change this and something worse could happen."

Yuuri swallowed, jaw clenched. He could feel that what Ken was saying was right, but still... it felt as if he was betraying all those people. His fists also clenched, he could feel the nausea rising up his throat. All the people that were going to die, and he couldn't do a thing about it.

"I... I need some air..." Yuuri muttered, turning around and going out as quick as he possibly could, paying no attention to Wolfram's cry of his name as he rushed up and outside, towards the air. The fact that his fiancé didn't immediately follow him meant that Conrad had stopped him, and Yuuri was very grateful to Conrad for that.

It was still early, the sky violet-and-rose-tinged, the air somewhat chilly. Yuuri took deep breaths of the morning air, eyes closed as he tried to take in on everything. He could feel that it was going to be a nice day, the kind of day that usually made it a drag to go to school because it would have been the perfect day to play baseball. His younger self would probably try to stay at home and he'd beg to mom to just let him skip lessons, just this once. Shouri would snort at him and call him lazy, all ready for High School. Dad would whisper to him that if he was good, he'd take him to the zoo during the weekend. He wondered what he was going to do that exact day, not knowing that in short of four days, he could die.

Yuuri found himself still having some troubles accepting that it could all end, that his young self would never get the chance to meet Murata or grow up.

That if the world ended, he would never have the chance to meet Wolfram and Conrad.

Still feeling a little sick, Yuuri walked towards a bench, collapsing on it, arms against his knees, closing his eyes, the sounds of cars and some birds nearby filling his brain. Something bumped against his leg and he opened his eyes, smiling at the cat that was rubbing against his leg.

"Hey there," he said, scratching the cat's head. "Sorry, I don't have any food..."

The cat mewled before it ran away when someone started walking towards him. Yuuri was expecting either Conrad or Wolfram, perhaps even both, maybe even little Ken to come, so he was more than a little surprised when it was Kamui-san who stopped in front of him, giving him a little space. Yuuri stood up, offering a smile.

"Sorry," he shrugged a little, hands inside his pockets. "I guess that was a little pathetic, isn't it?"

Kamui shook his head. "It's a lot to take in in too short of a time."

"Eh, still... it's okay, I know I'm not exactly the mental picture someone would have of a Demon King." He offered a weak laugh, shrugging, trying to erase the serious look upon the other teenager's face. "Especially after you've been told that he comes to offer help!"

However, his frown, if anything, deepened.

"You don't have to help us," Kamui-san said. "Even with what Hinoto and your friend are saying, it's not your duty. You already have a world you need to worry about."

Yuuri blinked, a little surprised at what Kamui had said before he sat down, completely silent as he thought about his words. After a few moments, the other teen sat down too, also silent, the sky getting clearer. The cat that had rubbed against his knee came back and Yuuri smiled, petting it gently, pleasantly surprised when it let him pick it up, purring loudly.

"I love this world," Yuuri said as he scratched at the cat's chin, letting it move to bump against Kamui's arm, smiling and looking around, doing his best to take in every single detail he could, as if it would be the last chance he'd get to do so, knowing that perhaps it would be. "I also love Shin Makoku a lot, don't get me wrong, but this world... I was born here. Back in the 2005, I've just brought my daughter Greta to Japan for the very first time. I'm planning to take her to her first official baseball game next Sunday."

"Daughter?" Kamui-san blinked. "How old are you?"

"Me? Sixteen. Well, seventeen in July. Why?" After a moment of confusion, Yuuri laughed, shaking his head. He took out his wallet, showing one of the many pictures of Greta his mom had taken, offering it to Kamui. "Oh! No, no. Wolfram and I adopted her. She's the cutest ten years old you've ever seen."

Once Kamui gave him back the photo, Yuuri looked at it before putting it back in his wallet, sighing and leaning back on the bench.

"Almost a year ago, I had to decide if I wanted to stay in Shin Makoku and never go back to Earth or the other way 'round... I felt as if I had been asked to stop breathing. I love both worlds. I have people important to me in both worlds. As the Maou, I have bigger responsibilities in Shin Makoku, but that doesn't mean that my responsibilities to Earth disappear." Yuuri smiled at Kamui's surprised expression, shrugging. "Besides, my brother is gonna be the Earth's Maou. It'd be very lame of me not to give a hand to the people that are trying to save it, right?"

Then he winced, a little embarrassed. "... but I'm sorry I don't know yet how to help."

Kamui's expression, however, remained worried. "Are you sure?"

He nodded. "Besides, it's not as if we could go back just like that. According to Ken, until I do whatever it is that I'm supposed to do, we're stuck here."

Yuuri took a deep breath again and stood up, watching as the cat ran away, then he nodded to himself again and smiled towards Kamui.

"Don't worry about us, Kamui-san. We'll discover what is it that I'm supposed to do in no time."


	4. Chapter 4

It was a good thing that Yuuri was used to eating his own words, once that he found out that _'in no time'_ actually meant '_more than one hundred hours of frustration',_ with Ken calmly, cheerfully and sometimes simply _mean_ said why whatever plan they had thought of didn't make sense.

At the very least, they had a place to stay. Yuuri wasn't exactly sure how (and he kind of didn't even want to think _why_) Ken had gotten the chairman of Clamp Campus Academy to lend them a dormitory while they stayed there, two swords for Conrad and Wolfram _and_ even uniforms for him and Wolfram and credentials for the three of them, although they hadn't – of course – even gotten close to the High School and College sections of the Campus, busier trying to find whatever it was he was supposed to do.

Although, by hour one hundred two, Yuuri was busy thinking about the Shibuya Earthquake that was going to happen the very next day, a little after twelve in which he was going to trapped by debris. He didn't remember much of the day; what little he knew had been thanks to Shouri or his mother talking about it, and he obviously didn't remember the month in the hospital. Even after he woke up, he barely had a few memories. He knew that he and his family had left Japan for a few months while he recovered, but even that time seemed hazy to him. He just remembered that for the longest of times he had been exhausted.

Ken had drilled into his brain that he wasn't to change the events as they had happened, and Yuuri knew that he was right; he had seen enough Sci-Fi movies to know that it'd be dangerous to try and change his past, but that didn't change the fact that his mom and Shouri were going to _be_ there.

How could he be sure that they were going to make it? After all, just because in _his_ past they had been saved, it didn't mean that in _this_ present it would happen again, right? For all that he knew, they could die. And then...

Wolfram's arm landed with the force of a bomb over his chest, making him cough even as he snuggled closer, Conrad sleeping by the other side of the room.

"Stop worryin'" Wolfram muttered, yawning. Yuuri smiled a little, even as he rubbed at his chest.

"Sorry, it's just..." he sighed. "Conrad? You awake?"

"Something wrong, your Majesty?"

Yuuri gave a faint snort. Conrad's voice was mostly awake and he shook his head, moving Wolfram's arm away so that he could sit down, sighing.

"Yeah, kinda." The young king took a deep breath and hoped that the walls weren't thin after what he was about to say: Wolfram _did_ get loud when outraged. "It's about the earthquake mom, Shouri and I will be in tomorrow."

Wolfram shifted behind him, also sitting. Conrad reached for one of the lamps, the three of them wincing at the sudden light in the room.

Yuuri licked his lips, doing his best to look serious.

"I'm going to go there to see that 'they' will make it out okay."

Yuuri winced as he readied himself for Wolfram's enraged voice telling him that he was a wimp and how he wasn't going to risk his life like that, and Conrad's concerned words explaining why he couldn't do that, offering to go instead.

He wasn't expecting complete silence. He opened an eye and found out that Conrad and Wolfram were looking towards each other with almost identical serious expressions. It was, he thought, one of the few times he had actually seen Conrad glare, even more towards his younger brother. Absolutely confused, he blinked, scratching the back of his head.

"Uh... guys?" They both turned to look towards him, their looks still serious. "Did you hear what I said?"

"We did," both brothers said at the same time, making Wolfram glare a little more. Then Conrad sighed, shaking his head.

"Wolfram and I had decided to go to Shibuya immediately after the reunion with the Dragons of Heaven, to make sure that his Majesty and his family were okay."

"But Conrad didn't want you to know, and I've been telling him that you're enough of an idiot that even if we left you somewhere else, you'd try to go on your own."

There was a slightly victorious note in Wolfram's voice. Yuuri blinked and then tilted his head to one side, wondering for just a moment if he ought to feel offended or touched by both of their assumptions. Putting said thoughts aside for the moment, Yuuri frowned, doing his best to copy Gwendal's imperious tone of voice.

"If you're going, I'm going with you. And that's definitive," the teen sighed . "If something happens, at the very least we know that I can use Maryoku on Earth. It might buy some time if there's no other way."

Neither Wolfram nor Conrad seemed to happy about his words, but Yuuri looked at them in a way he hoped expressed that although he was touched by their concern, there _was absolutely_ no way that they were going to go without him. Finally, Wolfram huffed, turning to lay down over the bed again, stealing almost all of the covers.

"What about Murata, then?" He asked. "Are you going to tell him, too"

Yuuri thought about this for a moment before he shook his head. "No. I know what he'd say something about how we're not supposed to help. Besides, he's just a kid and he belongs to this era. He could get injured."

"We should go for an ice cream," Ken chirped, bouncing his legs so that they hit against the wall he was sitting on. He turned to look towards Wolfram and smiled even as he jumped off the wall. "C'mon, I've money, so this time it's my treat."

Somehow, Yuuri thought that he shouldn't have been that surprised when they had found out Murata Ken waiting for them outside of their dorm while wearing casual clothes, telling them how, once he had heard about he being involved in one of the earthquakes, he had been certain that the three of them were going to go towards the kekkai.

He watched Ken as he dragged Wolfram towards the ice cream store, smiling at the weird picture they did: the ten years old wearing jeans and a huge red shirt and the foreign High School student who had most likely ditched classes. Had he not been busy looking at his family then, he might have joined them.

Over all the weird things that had happened to him in his life, including the whole being swallowed by a toilet and being the king of a demon country, Yuuri would have to say that the weirdest thing without a doubt that had happened to him – so far – was finding himself staring at a ten years old version of himself without said staring being in a video or a photo.

Yuuri gave a soft smile, watching as his younger self complained (most likely; there were a lot of people and they weren't that close of his 'past' family) about having to walk inside yet another store, saying that he'd rather go to the sports store instead of having new jeans, trying to get his mom to stop from walking by planting his heels firmly against the ground and then getting tugged by his mom, a young sixteen years old Shouri wearing his uniform was rolling his eyes at him. His eleven years old self was completely oblivious that perhaps in a few moments he was going to die.

He felt his throat tighten, his fear and doubts coming back with a vengeance. He knew the story well enough since his mom had told it a lot when he had been little. Yuuri looked around him, but there didn't seem to be any foreigners nearby. Was he really going to be saved? What was going to happen to the him of sixteen years if his eleven years old self died? Would he disappear as if he had never existed?

When Conrad put his hand on his shoulder he jumped, startled, but Conrad was just smiling at him, calm and certain, his confidence making him breath a little easier.

"You don't have to worry, your Majesty," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. Yuuri wasn't surprised that even despite the noise of traffic and people surrounding them he could still hear Conrad's voice clearly, felt it soothe the doubts that this whole time-travel-apocalyptic thing had aroused within him. "I promised you I would be there to protect you. Even your past , I'll protect it."

Yuuri smiled gently. "When you say things like that, Conrad, you should use my name rather than my title."

Conrad squeezed his shoulder before letting go. "My mistake."

Wolfram and Ken came back then, handing him and Conrad their ice-creams. Yuuri was about to taste his when he felt it. A shock of something deep and wrong running through the Earth, something like regret in the air, something like when the Kohi had been nervous in Shin Makoku but much deeper, much powerful.

"Yuuri?" Wolfram asked when he dropped his cone. "What's wrong?"

Something had been broken, something important... there was that familiar energy again, but furthermore it was something wild and powerful and –

He felt his maryoku react in two places at the same time. "DUCK!"


	5. Chapter 5

The earthquake was fast and terrible in it's intensity. It couldn't have been more than twenty, thirty seconds and yet buildings around them collapsed, people screamed in fright, explosions were heard.

And then, Wolfram yelled. "Look!"

Yuuri had not recollection of what he was seeing, something that the doctors had told him came from the trauma to the head he received; he had been lucky, the doctors had always told him, that he had only forgotten a few minutes rather than having to deal with worse consequences. And he hadn't, until that moment, cared to remember something so scary. The important part had always been that they had been saved.

Now he could see what had happened.

Shouri had tried to protect him, throwing him to the floor and covering him with his body, and their mom had tried to cover them both, throwing herself over them. His eleven-year-old self had seen all this, had seen the buildings falling down and had been terrified, realizing that they were going to be buried by all the things falling down.

His younger self had been convinced that his mother and brother were going to die.

The blue aura of the Maou was surrounding his younger self's body, creating a protective shield (a kekkai?) that had thrown his mom and Shouri away, but the blue aura kept on growing on intensity. Yuuri noticed, a little surprised, that as the aura grew, the effects of the earthquake seemed to lessen where his young self was.

Then, suddenly, Yuuri coughed, blood over his hand when he covered his mouth, feeling dizzy and his head hurting, as if he had been hit. His knees gave in, his energies gone and suddenly Ken was doing his best to hold him, small arms supporting him even as the explosions started once more, the brief respite his young self had managed to create gone for good. He barely could see through the sudden nausea and pain that seemed to be running through his body how a part of the nearby wall had collapsed over the young Yuuri, making the maryoku disappear.

There was a mixed scream then. Shouri, his mom. Wolfram and Conrad.

"YUURI!"

He saw Conrad and Wolfram running towards where the young Yuuri was now buried, saw how they started digging through the rubbish that had covered his body with his mom and Shouri and just before he lost conscience he saw Wolfram cradling young Yuuri's body against him, Conrad helping his mom stand up, Shouri and Wolfram running away from there.

Then, everything went black and the only thing he was aware of was the feeling that something had been broken for good.

Conscience came back in bits and pieces of feeling and pain, with the way his body felt heavy, the way someone was holding his hand, that person's hands shaking. His own fingers twitched a little, trying to offer what little comfort he could through the wave of exhaustion. 

"Yuuri?"

Yuuri groaned, but he couldn't decide if he wanted to wake up or not but knowing that he had to wake up despite everything. He swallowed, eyes fluttering open, the world a blurry mix of colors and shapeless forms before he could start to focus.

It was dark, the sound of a machine beeping nearby, the smell of flowers and antiseptic in the air. One of Wolfram's hands still holding his, Wolfram's expression worried. Yuuri smiled a little.

"... hey..."

"You idiot," Wolfram muttered, voice somewhat trembling His eyes were red brimmed, either because of lack of sleep or because he had cried, Yuuri didn't know. He still moved a hand to Wolfram's face, rubbing below one of his eyes where the tears would've been, knowing he had been worried.

"... sorry, Wolf... where...?"

Wolfram leaned against his touch for a moment before he took his hand and put it against his chest, his hand still covering his. Yuuri noticed that Wolfram had a bandage around his forehead and that his hands were also bandaged.

"Clamp Academy. We're all fine; Conrad went to check up on your family and Murata is on the phone with his father."

Yuuri sighed, closing his eyes. He knew that not everyone was fine, even if Wolfram was saying that. He felt the sting of bitter, frustrated tears behind his closed eyelids when he thought of the people that had been screaming, of the people that had been trapped in the buildings or in the cars, the ones that had died over the explosions.

Wolfram squeezed his hand again, and then his touch was careful over his face. Yuuri opened his eyes, focusing on his fiancé and the sad expression upon his face.

"Try to sleep, Yuuri," Wolfram muttered, cupping his face, his thumb sweeping over his cheek as if to catch any stray tear that might fall down, the same way he had touched Wolfram's face. "The best thing you can do right now is rest."

Yuuri gave a soft smile and muttered another 'sorry', falling asleep holding Wolfram's hand.

When he opened his eyes for a moment, a few hours after that, Wolfram wasn't by his side. Turning his head to the side, Yuuri saw both Wolfram and Conrad over the couch, both soundly asleep, Wolfram leaning against Conrad's shoulder, Conrad's arm around his brother, their expressions completely exhausted.

The sight made Yuuri smile a little, even as he surrendered to sleep once more.

When he woke up again it was because his stomach was rumbling and there was the unmistakable smell of sausages nearby and his stomach rumbled. He groaned again, his body still feeling almost too heavy to even take a deep breath, but he managed to move one of his hands to his face, rubbing his eyes. Conrad's hands helped him sit up and Yuuri opened one eye to look at him and smile.

"Morning," he said, voice creaking, not saying anything as Conrad piled pillows behind him because he knew it'd be pretty much harmless. "How much did I sleep?"

"From the time Wolfram said you woke up until now? About sixteen hours. And before you had slept around eight hours."

A whole day gone sleeping. No surprise he was so hungry. "It's been a while since I slept so long..."

Conrad smiled, nodding, but his smile was tense. "This time it was a little more serious, Majesty."

"Your young-you almost died, so you almost died too," Ken added to Conrad's statement as the boy and Wolfram came inside, the two of them carrying trays with steaming hot, mouth watering delicious _food_. Yuuri's concentration threatened to ignore everything until his body had been fed, but then again, he did tend to take things like 'almost dying' seriously, so instead he shook his head and focused on the boy.

"... I almost what?"

"Died. As in expired. Caput, finito, gone? Yeap." Ken had a bandage over his leg and he was wearing different glasses from the ones he had wore since they had met him, these ones more rectangular, and the clothes he was wearing were a little too big on him, as if borrowed. The boy shrugged. "You're okay now. Both you and the young you, just that the young you will take a while to recover."

"From the debris?"

"From the use of maryoku, actually," Ken said, pausing a moment to eat so Yuuri bit unto a piece of toast at least before his stomach decided to wake up everyone else in the country with the way it was rumbling.

"The debris caused your young self mostly bruises, Majesty. The worst injuries are two broken ribs, but you're still in a coma. The doctors have said that it was most likely due to head trauma."

Yuuri shook his head, confused. "But... why did maryoku did that? I use it all the time and it doesn't leave me in a coma."

"It used to, when you started using it," Wolfram added, arms crossed. "When you fought against me, you slept for three days. And when you used it over Francshire, a day and a half."

Ken nodded a few times before he swallowed. "Young Shibuya hasn't made a pact with the water element, so even if he has maryoku, it's mostly dormant. And you're tired right now 'cause it's sort of a mirror-effect. Whatever happens the young one, happens to the old one."

"Then how did I use it?"

"Well, it's supposed that maryoku reacts to the mazoku's needs if the mazoku has a strong will but, my theory? Is that Julia-san gave you a little push."

Yuuri blinked at Ken's words. He looked towards Conrad for a moment, but his expression had grown a little sad. Wolfram, frowning in apparently the same confusion as him, spoke for him.

"Care to explain?"

Ken grinned, taking another bite of his scrambled eggs and tea before he spoke again.

"From what I gather, Julia-san was a selfless woman, wasn't she?"

"And the wimp here inherited a little too much of that," Wolfram huffed and Yuuri glared a little.

Ken snickered before he acknowledged that with a nod. "So, I think that what remains of her spirit in Shibuya saw what was gonna happen and she awoke his maryoku enough that it'd react to Shibuya's wish to protect his older brother and his mom. Buuut since Shibuya's body hasn't been properly awakened, it went a little out of control."

"Meaning?"

"The selflessness that Bielefeld-san mentioned, Shibuya-san," Ken said, moving a hand as if to try and lessen the impact of his words. "I think that at first Shibuya wanted only to protect his mom and brother, but then he saw all the situation and the people that were scared and hurt and he also wanted to protect them, so he channeled a bit of the kekkai's energy to try and expand itself around and – well, I guess we could say that Shibuya was trying to make a kekkai too."

Yuuri gaped. "... you're serious?"

"Yup!" Ken shrugged, stretching. "You pretty much short wired, Shibuya-san. Too much energy with no way to control it. The debris falling on you and making you lose conscience might have actually saved your life, 'cause if not for that, you would've still channeled all that energy up into the kekkai you were unconsciously trying to create"

"And you would've died." Wolfram muttered. Yuuri winced at his tone of voice, not daring to turn at look at him, but he did manage to reach a hand towards Conrad's hand over the bed, holding tightly. Conrad's hand was tense under his, but Yuuri felt the effort he did to relax his hold, even more when he noticed Wolfram doing the same.

Ken nodded again. "As it was, you just burnt away too much energy so that's why you spent a month sleeping, to build back the maryoku. And to let your body recover after all that. Really, Shibuya-san, you're extremely lucky. Any other person would be roasted by now."

"Even when you were a kid, you still were a wimp," Wolfram said with a snort. Yuuri was about to retort, but he noticed that Wolfram's eyes were a little wet, the way his hand wasn't so much holding Conrad's as clinging to it. Conrad's expression remained hard and worried.

Yuuri swallowed a little. "Sorry..."

"So, now that we know that the Shibuya will be fine for the moment," Ken said, stretching. "We need to focus over whatever it is that you guys are supposed to be doing here."

"Saving Yuuri wasn't enough?" Wolfram shrugged at his surprised look. "Some foreigners saved you and your family, just like your mother told you."

Ken, however, shook his head. "If it had been that, you would've been sent back already. It has to be something more, but our time is running short."

"What did your father say, Highness?" Conrad stood up, moving the trays to a corner of the room.

The boy pushed his glasses up his nose and sighed. "Thankfully Clamp Campus is one of the few safe places at the moment, and without the Yamamoto-line and everything, dad is stuck trying to find a way to come here so I'm to be be staying at the dorms... but then, we're definitely leaving the country for a while. Dad's worried."

There was a deep moment of silence before Ken grinned again, kicking his legs a little where they didn't touch the floor. "So we need to hurry before I go."

"That's easy to say!" Wolfram snorted. "We have no idea what Yuuri is supposed to do to fight. He's not one of the Dragons, he can't tell them about the kekkai..."

"Wolfram, calm down. It's not anyone's fault."

"I will calm down once we're back home!"

Yuuri frowned a little, deep in thought, even Wolfram's discussion with Conrad blurring into the background. There had to be something only he could do. Something to help Kamui-san and the other Seals, something that could give them his support. He wasn't to help them directly, he had been told, but surely he could do something. He loved Earth and Japan too much just to let it die now that he knew what it was dealing with. There had to be a way in which he could help without doing so directly. If there was something in the middle...

"That's it!" Yuuri pushed the covers away from him and stood up, almost immediately falling down if Wolfram and Conrad hadn't been there to support him.

"Yuuri! What part of _'exhausted'_ is the one you don't understand!" Wolfram exclaimed, an arm around his waist. Yuuri shook his head as he tried to clear the sudden nausea and the sudden stab of pain when he put one of his foot down, only then taking notice of the bandage around it.

"Sorry, but I need to talk with princess Hinoto and Kamui-san and everyone," Yuuri said, looking towards Wolfram and Conrad and Ken, trying hard not to start smiling just yet, even if the sudden flair of hope was making it hard.

"You need to rest, that's what you need to do," Wolfram said.

Yuuri turned to look towards him and smiled. "I think... no, I'm sure that I know what to do, Wolf."

Ken stood up then, careful of his injured leg. "Well, then Shibuya-san should get dressed. I'll call princess Hinoto and Sorata-san to let them know."

The fact that Yuzuriha-chan was still missing was obviously worrying Kamui-san, Kishuu-san, Sorata-san and Sumeragi-san (and quite possibly Aoki-san and Karen-san, who weren't there, he was told, because they were working), so Yuuri tried his best to smile as enthusiast as he could, convinced that there was no way that the cheerful girl he had met a week ago had died. Even something seemed to be wrong with princess Hinoto, though Yuuri couldn't quite pinpoint what.

"Thanks for coming," Yuuri told them, even as Wolfram helped him walk.

Sorata frowned. "Are you okay enough to do this? We could've gone to your room."

Yuuri waved a hand in front of him. "I'm fine, I'm fine. It's not that I'm injured. I'm just tired." Wolfram snorted, but tightened his hold over him. "I'm sorry if I made you worry."

"Shibuya-san thinks he found out how the way he's supposed to help," Ken said. Yuuri nodded, turning to look towards Hinoto but there it was again, as if something was off... he shook his head, convinced that exhaustion was making him see things or something and instead he looked towards Kamui.

"Well, Ken said that I can help directly, right? 'cause I'm not one of the Dragons from either side, and I can't change the history that I know happened. Ken said that I'm a blank card, remember? So well... I'll give you that blank card," Yuuri explained, hopeful. "And if you need it, you use it."

Ken frowned a little, even Wolfram and Conrad seemed a little confused.

Sumeragi-san crossed his arms. "Explain a little more, Shibuya-san?"

Yuuri nodded, hoping it made sense. "We told you about Sousho, right? The Original King managed to capture him in four boxes that were then sealed. These boxes were created to keep him trapped... and Sousho was mostly energy. Envy, hatred, everything that is dark in your heart. I think... Ken said that yesterday I was channeling the kekkai's energy, and if I focus, I can still feel it, just that it's too wild right now, but I think I can make that energy focus in one single point. A box."

"The kekkai's energy is still there?" Kamui-san asked.

"Well, energy can't be destroyed, right? It only transforms?" He moved a hand to the back of his neck, giving a sheepish grin. "... or something like that, at least. I should've paid more attention in class. But, I think that what the kekkai does is sort of focus the energy into protective wards. The energy still is there, but without the kekkai to focus it's going to go everywhere and it's too wild to be protective. "

"Would you really be able to do this?" Sumeragi-san asked. "It sounds too dangerous."

"And where would you place this box?" Kishuu-san asked.

Sorata-san nodded. "It'd probably be discovered by the Dragons of Earth."

"Not necessarily," Yuuri grinned, rubbing his nose. "Especially if the way to find it isn't open."

"You're not talking about hiding it in Shin Makoku!" Wolfram deadpanned. Yuuri raised one hand to try and calm his fiancé, shaking his head again.

"No, no. It wouldn't help in Shin Makoku 'cause then I'd be taking the card completely out of the game. It needs to be in the middle."

"Between the two worlds," Ken said, eyes wide behind his glasses. Yuuri nodded.

"Yup!" He turned to look towards the Seals again, his smile soft and a little sad. "As much as I do want to help, it's not... I'm not supposed to. Not me of the future, and the me of right now can't, and you're complete. We can't stay here either, because then I would fight and that would cause you more troubles, in the end."

"So then... the help I'll leave will only work if the balance between dragons is broken and if there's only one kekkai remaining."

"Are you able to do that?" Sorata-san asked, eyes wide and impressed. "That's amazing!"

Yuuri rubbed the back of his neck, shaking his head. "I... um, I think that I can do it... but it wouldn't last long, since it's not a proper kekkai. It'd only give a power bust for a short time, offering a temporary protection. Ken said that was what I was doing, in Shibuya."

"You're not going to do the same thing again, Yuuri." Wolfram's tone of voice didn't give any chance for anything else, but Yuuri smiled at him, nodding.

"I know, because if I did, I'd make you and Conrad worry," Conrad and Wolfram stared at him for a moment and Yuuri smiled at them gently, then turning to face the Seals again. "I think I can make some of this energy focus inside the box and keep it trapped between the worlds, waiting until it's needed. If it's not needed, the energy will free itself sooner or later, but hopefully by then the kekkai will be back up. But if it's needed, it will search the one kekkai still standing and run through it, making its energy stronger."

Ken gave faint nod. "Shibuya-san probably would be able to do so... Shibuya-san, think you can call Morgif?"

Yuuri shrugged. "No idea. Why?"

"It might make things easier, if you have something to properly focus. It's a shame, really..." Ken looked towards Hinoto, grinning. "So, princess Hinoto. How does the plan sound for you?"

As an answer, Hinoto placed her hands in front of her and bowed low, making Yuuri feel – again – awfully, horribly awkward.

_'I apologize for the troubles.'_

"Ahh, no need to do that, princess!" Yuuri bowed too, an embarrassed flush creeping up his neck, but he also offered a soft smile once he straightened. "I'm glad that I can help."

He almost fell again after that, still weak, but Conrad and Wolfram were once again by his side when his strengths left him and Yuuri leaned on them to keep standing, grateful. Ken gave a cheerful smile in his place.

"Well, Shibuya-san still needs to rest before he can do that, and I need help to build the designated box..." Ken hummed, a slight frown on his face before he nodded to himself. "A week from now should be enough."


	6. Chapter 6

It took Yuuri and Ken almost two whole days to find a place where Yuuri could send the box, once Yuuri was able to actually stay awake, five days after the quake in Shibuya. The park in Shibuya where he was (would be?) sent for the first time to Shin Makoku mostly destroyed, but even so there remained a small lake where maryoku and the energy of the kekkai seemed to mix. Even while still recovering his strength, Yuuri had been sure that it was there where they should create the provisional kekkai.

The day they were going to, however, Ken, usually never tardy (in fact, he seemed to strive on being as early as possible, a tradition that would carry on to the Murata he knew) seemed to be an hour late. Waiting with Sorata-san, Kamui-san and Aoki-san (and the box, that, except that it was lacking the markings the other boxes had had, was identical) outside of Shibuya, who would help them to the creation of this emergency kekkai, Yuuri was about to tell them they should go and check on Ken, certain that something had happened, when a military-looking car pulled nearby, Ken coming out from it.

"Sorry I'm late!"

He wasn't, however, the only one to come out of the car. Though not coming close, Murata's father had come out of the car, a frown over his face and Shanon-san, Bob's bodyguard and assistant, sitting inside.

"What happened?" He asked. 

"Nothing that matters at the moment, Shibuya-san."

"Ken..." he looked at the boy, serious, even if his subconscious told him that he was, most likely, going to pay for that in the future.

Finally, after a few moments, Ken shrugged.

"My father got in touch with Bob to get us out of the country, but I told him there was something I needed to do. We'll go with him once the box is sent."

Yuuri's frown deepened and he turned to look towards the dark haired man waiting by the car. Yuuri had only seen Murata's dad, back in the future - a couple of times, mostly because his job made him travel a lot. Still, Murata-san had been kind with him, happy that his son was involved in a sports club and that he had friends.

The way he looked right now, he was possibly sick thinking that his son could have died during one of the quakes. He knew how he would feel if it was Greta. A glance towards Wolfram told him the same.

"You should go," Wolfram told him. "You already told us what to do. Not trying to be rude, but if the Dragons of Earth do appear, you'd be in the way."

It was, probably, the first time he had _ever_ seen Murata – either young or teenager – gape in surprise. He looked so young like that, completely surprised at the way Wolfram had spoken. Wolfram glanced at him and Yuuri gave a nod, supporting his idea, if not the way he had worded it.

"You're still a kid," Yuuri said, smiling a little. "It's your father's job to worry... and you should be glad about that. You should go with him and stay as safe as possible. Don't worry, Ken. We'll see each other again, after all."

Ken still looked painfully young for a moment before he pulled himself together, giving a soft nod. There was some hurt over his face that wasn't completely hidden, but Yuuri told himself that it was for the best. While Murata's maryoku was strong, he had told him that it hadn't been awake until he had gone back to Shin Makoku, and Ken had also told him how maryoku, sometimes, tended to react to stress. The last thing they needed was Ken getting hurt.

"Well, then I guess this is goodbye for the next two and a half years, Shibuya-san, Bielfeld-san, Weller-san."

Yuuri grinned. "Yup. See you later."

Conrad bowed his head a little. "Take care of yourself, Highness."

Wolfram gave a faint snort. "Perhaps this time you might consider about actually _giving us_ a warning?"

"Ahh, sorry about that, Bielefeld-san, but I don't think I'm gonna be able," Ken grinned, his expression more familiar now, eyes even mischievous as he shrugged. "I'm going to be forgetting all of this."

"What! Why?"

Ken shrugged. "Julia-san's ancestor Chrystell made a lot of potions and poisons. He also made a potion so that people forgets until a trigger happens. Every time I'm reborn, I'm given a few drops of that so that I won't remember the Great Sage and all my previous lives until a certain age. You saying that my older self didn't tell you about this made me think that he might have done this, too."

"Are you certain of that, Highness?" Conrad asked.

"I can't be certain, now, could I?" Ken shrugged and then smiled, eyes closed. "But... right now, I can't talk with the Original King at all; the energy of the kekkai is too strong, so he doesn't know about how the war will end, if Sousho will be defeated. It's not fair if I know, not like this. I can hope, and I will hope that Shibuya will be able to carry on the Original King's will, but to know more..."

Then he smiled, bright and cheerful and Yuuri couldn't help but hurt for him again, for this Murata that, sometimes, was still a child.

"Besides, it's still going to be three years before I meet Shibuya and five years before I get to go to Shin Makoku according to what you told me. I don't wanna miss everyone while waiting!"

It would be bad enough, Yuuri thought, just to miss Shin Makoku. He still nodded and smiled. It was for the best, this time.

"Thanks for all the help, Ken."

Ken nodded. "Shibuya-san, if this is truly what you're supposed to do, you might go back the moment it's done. Try not to burn yourself with this. You're supposed to feel when it's too much for you. _Then_ you focus over the box."

"Yeah, yeah, got it."

"And even if he doesn't," Conrad smiled. "Wolfram and I will be close for him to realize it."

"Which means will probably have to knock some sense over his hard head."

Yuuri glared at Wolfram, who didn't even try to feign innocence. The three Seals that were with them came nearby.

"Is there any trouble?" Aoki-san asked, looking towards Murata-san.

Ken shook his head. "No, everything's ready, I just came to say goodbye for the moment."

"So soon?" Sorata-san sighed, messing Ken's hair. "Oh, man... and here I was thinking I found a little brother!"

Ken grinned. "Well, if this works out, we should definitely see each other again, Sorata-san. I'll need help to get a cute girlfriend like Kishuu-san!"

Wolfram snorted. "Great, the only thing we need is for these two to get together with Gurrier and Shin Makoku's reputation will be ruined forever."

Yuuri perked at that, looking towards Kamui, Sorata and Aoki-san. "That's a great idea! After you win, you should find us again!" Yuuri grinned. "I'll show you Shin Makoku! Aoki-san, you have a daughter, right? She might play with my daughter too! And this time you'll be the guests."

Wolfram snorted, muttering something about wimps and breaches in etiquette but Conrad merely chuckled. Kamui nodded. 

"It would be nice."

"I'm sorry that I couldn't do more," Yuuri said, offering his hand to Kamui.

Kamui took his hand in a firm handshaking, shaking his head no.

"You've done more than enough."

"Well then, see you all later!" Ken said with a grin, running back towards where his dad and Sharon-san had been waiting.

Yuuri took a deep breath and nodded, helping carry the box as close as possible towards the small water spring. If this worked, it'd be his only chance to buy humanity enough time so that someone could give it a second chance.

"Okay... everyone, move a little away, just in case." Yuuri swallowed, licking his lips once even Conrad and Wolfram took a few steps backwards.

The energy he could feel was agitated, his maryoku wanting to react towards what it felt was a possible threat. Taking deep breaths to calm himself, Yuuri stopped himself from turning to look towards Wolfram and Conrad for reassurance, instead taking a step forward, placing his hands on top of the box, just knowing in theory what he had to do. He was to work as a channel for the energy of the kekkai, he had to let it run through his body and...

He gasped as the energy, now that it had a focus, seemed to rush through him, his maryoku flaring around him, almost too much energy to keep in control. It was then that the explosions started, one of them throwing him and the box towards the side. Yuuri gasped again, the energy trapped inside him but still channeling more until he managed to slap a hand to the box again, freeing it.

"Yuuri!"

"Don't!" Conrad and Wolfram stood in front of him, hands on the hilts of their swords. Yuuri shook his head, vision a little blurry at the excess of energy that had stored inside him even for that short moment. "It's dangerous!"

"Exactly why you shouldn't be involved with this."

The voice was almost kind. Yuuri shook his head, thinking he had seen the Original King as he had stood when corrupted by Sousho inside his heart, his voice the same tone of polite disinterest.

Wolfram and Conrad gasped, too, even as he finally managed to focus over the other person, taking notice that it was a dark haired teenager.

Was this the Dark Kamui? Kamui-san's childhood friend, Monou Fuuma-san? Yuuri shuddered when the other teenager looked at him, something terrible and cold in his eyes that scared him to the core.

The Dark Kamui looked towards Conrad, walking closer. Yuuri tried to get more energy, the point that Ken had said he was going to feel still not there, not even close.

"Your wish," the teenager said, his voice still sounding polite. Yuuri saw the way Conrad's shoulders shifted, almost ready to strike if he needed too. "Is to die protecting your king. You'd give anything for him... and for him, too. Your wish is to die instead of a loved one ever again."

Then he focused over Wolfram, who tensed all over.

"You want them," Monou added, still smiling. "You have been telling yourself that you wouldn't mind if they were happy, but that isn't the truth. You'd rather things don't change if you can't have them."

Four or five feet away from them, Monou stopped. The explosions remained, wires sprouting out of the debris and attacking the seals. Conrad and Wolfram got their swords ready. Monou then smiled, a soft, kind curving of his lips that chilled Yuuri to the bone.

"Let me grant you your wish."

"NO!"

Yuuri was unable to know if the flare of energy had been because of him or if the Dark Kamui had caused it, the wind that Aoki-san brought causing a cloud of dust; he just knew that Morgif had appeared in his hand, as fierce looking as when he had had to fight against Sousho, even as he kept a hand pressed over the box. The energy burned inside him, Yuuri letting it pass as fast as it possibly could, his maryoku reacting because he had been sure (part of him still was) that he was going to lose Conrad and Wolfram.

He wasn't going to lose them.

Dark Kamui stood up, smiling as he looked at him. Yuuri glanced to the side. Over that explosion, Conrad and Wolfram had been knocked to the side, both unmoving, and a cold weight settling in his stomach. He swallowed, throat suddenly dry, but he still couldn't move. Not yet.

"You're not going to touch them," Yuuri ordered, holding tightly to Morgif. "I won't allow it."

Monou seemed for a moment like Conrad, and when Yuuri shook his head he almost looked like Wolfram. Yuuri shook his head once more, trying to rush the energy because now it was hurting, too, now that he wasn't keeping it in hold, some of his own energy mixing with it. He thought he heard Kamui-san scream 'Fuuma', but he couldn't turn, couldn't face away from this man who could kill them. But he wasn't going to die, nor Conrad nor Wolfram.

"Your wish... " Monou tilted his head for a moment, looking curious. "You don't want to die, and you don't want them to die. Is that true?"

"Of course it is!" Yuuri shook his head. "Go away now! You're not going to hurt anyone here today! I won't allow you! I'll fight you if I have to!"

"But you don't want to fight. You also wish that you didn't have to fight. You don't think you'll win if you have to fight."

Yuuri swallowed. Was he a mind reader? Why did he _knew_ that? He felt more than heard Morgif's groan of confusion and his fingers tightened around its hilt. He would fight if he had to. And he would _win_ if he had too. Even if had...

"Aaah, there's another wish." Suddenly, Monou was in front of him, eyes as cold as before even as he looked at him. "Your wish is to save them, even at the cost of your own life."

Yuuri screamed at the next blow, unable to stand where he was, even unable to protect himself with Morgif. His back hit what remained of a collapsed wall and Yuuri screamed louder, sure that some of his ribs had been broken, the energy mix of maryoku/kekkai ran freely inside his body, without being able to pour it over the box.

Die for them? Julia-san had done that. Wolfram had said that he was too much like Julia-san in that, and Conrad...

"You're wrong," Yuuri coughed, a hand against his ribs as he fought to stand up, picking up Morgif again. He wasn't sure if it was the energy or if it was the pain which was making him ditzy. "If I died while protecting them... Kamui-san would feel guilty, and it wouldn't be helpful. Wolfram'd get mad at me and Conrad would blame himself and I wouldn't be able to see Greta or mom or anyone I care about again."

The magic of the kekkai remained, mixing with his maryoku. Yuuri felt it run through every part of his body until he could barely contain it, calling forth the water that was running nearby, water dragons surrounding him as the Dark Kamui smiled.

This place where his young self was living with his family. The place where he'd get to meet Murata. The world where they'd search for "The Mirror at the Bottom of the Ocean". The world where so many people lived and dreamed and believed in. The world that he wanted to show to Conrad and Wolfram.

"I don't want to die to protect the people I care, because then they'd be sad. I want to protect everyone with everything I have so that we can keep on living in this world."

The energy inside of him seemed to shoot itself towards the box, both the box and the water glowing golden, half of a sphere forming around them, although Yuuri wasn't sure how much it covered. It didn't matter. The only thing that mattered at the moment was that Wolfram and Conrad were there, unconscious and that this time he couldn't rely on them, that this time it was _he_ who had to protect them.

However, Monou-san just smiled.

"Seems that your wish was true," he looked around him, noticing the kekkai, then looking back at him. "Even the you that is sleeping right now is wishing not to die and for the people he loves not to die."

When the Dark Kamui walked near Conrad and Wolfram, Yuuri was about to run there and stop him, but the man just kept on walking.

"I'll grant you your wish," he said calmly, walking away. Yuuri watched him go, not knowing what to think. Then, the Dark Kamui talked again. "But you should go back to where you belong, or next time I'll grant _their_ wishes."

Before Yuuri could ask or say anything else, he felt the it that Ken had talked about and Yuuri saw how the box floated to the middle of the spring before it disappeared into it, the white light he, Conrad and Wolfram had seen almost two weeks ago blinding him again.


	7. Chapter 7

Next time his conscience started telling him he should wake up, Yuuri wanted to tell that annoying voice where it could shove it when even his _hair_ hurt. However, he must have made some noise because next thing he knew Greta was screaming, excited.

"Yuuri! Yuuri!" he heard Greta's footsteps and then the door opening, Greta screaming excited. "He's waking up!"

Yuuri groaned, but finally managed to unglue his eyelids.

It was Shin Makoku rather than his bedroom in Japan he found himself, and he smiled as Greta ran back to his side, her hands grasping his, eyes filled with tears.

"Yuuri, you worried me! You and Wolfram and Conrad!"

"Are they..."

"Better than you? Yeah. Don't try to sit up, Shibuya, your ribs." Yuuri huffed, an arm around his chest protectively even as he blinked to clear his vision. Murata seemed relieved even as he grinned, sitting down over the bed. "Once you appeared back in Japan, we brought you here. The three of you were injured, so we thought it'd be best for you to get treated here."

"How long...?"

"Slept? Five days this time. Conrad two days, Wolfram three days. They'd be here but they're under strict Gisela-orders to stay in bed."

Greta nodded. "Grandmother Jen is helping Celi-sama with them right now. Yuuri, what happened? You disappeared for ten minutes and then you came back bleeding!"

The door opening, showing two still bruised and bandaged Wolfram and Conrad helped Yuuri avoid answering at least for the moment, and then he did let Murata help him sit down. Wolfram was limping even as his mom helped him walk, Conrad's right arm in a sling.

"Are you okay?" Yuuri asked, more than a little winded, trying not to wince as his mom hugged him tightly. "And Shin Makoku? Mom, my ribs..."

"Yuu-chan!" Jen sniffed and glared at the same time, and Yuuri knew that there wasn't any body of water nearby for him to do an ungraceful scape. Celi-sama remained by her two sons side, a mix of worry and relief plain over her face. "Ken already told us what happened."

"Shin Makoku is mostly fine. There was a last Earthquake a week ago, I'm informed. Sir von Kleist and lady Anissina are over the Krehnikov region, where there were the most damages, but everything seems to be under control." Murata shrugged when he turned to look at him, hands up in the air. "And I had to explain about what happened in Japan and all. I had two worried mothers, two older brothers wanting explanations, a fainting counselor, a crying daughter and three unconscious sons all in my poor hands. Majority won."

"Yuuri, what happened after that man..." Wolfram looked down, apparently unwilling to say 'knocked us out'. Not that he could blame him. He did see that Conrad put his hand over Wolfram's shoulder.

Yuuri remembered what he had said about his wishes, about Wolfram's and Conrad's wishes. He shrugged. "It was... well. I'm not sure how the box managed to fill itself. I wasn't even touching it when it suddenly was ready and then the Dark Kamui said that he'd grant me my wish to come out alive of it. Then we were sent back, I guess."

Conrad frowned. He had a cut over his cheekbone, even though it was mostly healed. "Majesty, are you sure?"

He nodded. There was more to say, of course, but there were too many people for the things he needed and wanted to say. Especially with Celi-sama and his mom. Instead he looked towards Murata.

"D'you know what happened with them?"

Murata shook his head 'no'. "I only remembered when you related Hinoto with Ulrike. That was my trigger. And then we came back here..."

Yuuri nodded, looking towards his lap for a moment. He wasn't about to say that now he, finally, remembered why Kamui-san's energy had felt familiar before, how he had felt it, surrounding the Earth in a kekkai. 

Yuuri knew that, no matter what, he was going to want to find out what had happened with them, for better or for worse.

"But I already asked Bob and Jose's help to find about them," Murata added, shrugging. "It might take a while, but I think we'll find out, no matter what."

Yuuri sighed, leaning back against his pillows, even as Greta went to Wolfram's side, leaning against him gently. "I wish I could have helped with more."

Murata shook his head. "We weren't supposed to help with the outcome of the battle, Shibuya. You were a blank card, but that doesn't mean you were a Seal or an Angel. It was their fight to win"

Wolfram nodded even as he sighed, petting Greta's hair. "Winning or losing... that doesn't really exist in wars. There's just pieces to pick up and put back together." Conrad said, his voice a little sad. It was Wolfram, now, who reached for his brother, his hand closing around Conrad's wrist, even if he wasn't looking at him. 

Yuuri sighed, closing his eyes before he smiled. . "Then, we've to live for everyone who didn't make it. Crying won't bring them back."

Murata grinned too, standing up.. "Don't try to get smart now, Shibuya."

Yuuri stuck his tongue out, fighting against the wish to yawn. Instead he looked towards his mom, eyes as wide and pleading as he knew how to make them.

"I'm a little hungry..."

"That's good!" Jennifer stood up, nodding. "Mama will make you her best soup so you get your strengths back, Yuu-chan!"

One gone, three to go. Murata looked at him and then he grinned towards Greta, offering his hand. 

"Wanna go help Grandma Jenn, princess?"

Celi-sama must have caught on his idea, too (and Yuuri knew he hadn't quite been subtle) because she smiled, touching her sons' heads before she joined Murata and Greta.

Once the door made 'click', Yuuri found out that he didn't know exactly what to say. I had been easy to decide things when you're facing a probably imminent death. Now that it wasn't so imminent (unless Wolfram used fireballs or he died of embarrassment or something), Yuuri found out that he was speechless, even as Wolfram and Conrad kept on looking at him. And when he finally opened his mouth, he yawned.

Wolfram rolled his eyes and Conrad chuckled gently. Yuuri noticed that they too seemed pretty worn out. Yuuri wondered how much they had actually slept while he had been unconscious.

"You're still tired, Majesty," Conrad said, standing up probably to help Wolfram. "You should rest."

"You should stay here, then," Yuuri said out of the blue. Wolfram, who had been half rising, trying not to put his weight over his injured leg, fell back on his chair as he looked at him, Conrad also staring.

Knowing that if he didn't speak he was going to freeze, Yuuri took a deep breath and begged he made some sense.

"Because I, well. I heard. And you heard what Monou said, about wishes. Except the dying part... and you didn't get to hear my wish which was staying with you. Alive and well and he said that he was going to grant it, which I guess he did 'cause we're all here, aren't we? So you two should stay here, and rest. Then you can make sure I rest and even if not..."

He paused. Wolfram and Conrad were still staring and Yuuri couldn't stop the horrible, terrible feeling that he was messing everything up. It was a familiar feeling, but it had been a long, long, long time since he had felt it this strong, making his stomach churn. Yuuri licked his lips and looked towards the two men that had, quite literally, meant the world for him when presented to the choice of living without them and he smiled a little.

"You know how we didn't know why you had gone with me? I think it's... I _know_ it's because I'll always want you two by my side. Even if the world's ending. Especially if the world is ending. But any other time, I want you two by my side, too. If you want."

The silence that remained was heavy and terrible, expectation making Yuuri's chest hurt even more than his sore ribs. Conrad seemed to have frozen, but Yuuri thought he looked both scared and a little hopeful, as if he didn't know what to do, his good hand still holding unto Wolfram's forearm where he had been helping him up. Wolfram, on the other hand, seemed serious, frowning a little. Not homicidal, though, which, joined to the fact that he hadn't let go of Conrad either, gave Yuuri hope that perhaps...

In the end, it was Wolfram who broke the silence as he huffed, a smile threatening to break free even as he tried to keep a haughty expression: 

"We are going to need more pillows, then."


End file.
